Who is Driftless?

Nicholas Langholff – Founder
Is a film producer based in Madison, WI.  Nicholas has been making movies for the last ten years and now numbers more than 40 films to his credit, 17 as First Assistant Director and 11 as Producer, including El Cartel and the award-winning Madison. His credits also include dozens of national commercials and promotional spots for clients such as Sundance Channel, Nickelodeon, Bravo, Oxygen, and IFC. He has filmed on location in Sudan, Brazil, and Mexico, and spends much of his time working between NY and LA. Langholff now focuses exclusively on developing and producing independent feature films, with a unique expertise in shooting on location in Wisconsin.

Darren Burrows – Founder
Darren is best known for his portrayal of budding director Ed Chigliak on the hit series Northern Exposure from 1990-1995.  He has also appeared in numerous feature films by directors as diverse as John Waters to Steven Spielberg, and has made several guest appearances on shows such as X-Files and CSI.  Darren’s ties to Wisconsin began with the Milwaukee-made Lady in the Box.   He has since worked on several projects with Nick Langholff and Madison-based Natural Films.  Darren is currently developing Of Angels & Outlaws, a Western to be filmed in new Mexico later this year.

Jeremy Patnaude  -Founder

Jeremy Patnaude is the General Manager of State Theatres, a movie cinema chain in Southwestern Wisconsin.  He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Platteville Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors for Tri-State Tourism, and is very involved in the many communities in which State Theatres operates.

Jeremy became involved in the Driftless Film Festival in order to bring Independent Cinema to the area, while showcasing the many historic venues that only the Midwest has to offer.  Also, many people have not experienced the beauty of the Driftless Region.  Having an event of this caliber will help to promote awareness of the Drftless area and all it has to offer.

Phil Mrozinski – Executive & Artistic Director
Phil Mrozinski is a photographer and owner of M Studio in Mineral Point, WI.  Phil is also the President and Manger of the Mineral Point Opera House Inc., and was instrumental in the campaign to restore the Opera House.

Cheryl Greer – Website Manager
Cheryl Greer is a freelance designer and film buff.  A former curator of the Curtis Theatre Collection in Pittsburgh, Cheryl’s lifelong interest in film & theater history and background in the preservation and conservation of historic artifacts carries through to DFF’s mission of raising awareness of the historic theater buildings of the Driftless region.

Eve Studnicka -Festival Coordinator

Born to artists in Mineral Point, WI, Eve Studnicka has a colorful and innate love of Southwest Wisconsin. She wrote for the Chillicothe Independent for two years as a film analyst and critic and currently works as an independent videographer and documentary filmmaker. Her works include a season documentary on a youth travel hockey team and Together We Shine, a documentary on the Art & Science in the Woods summer camp in Washburn, IL, which aired on PBS in Central Illinois in 2012. She is currently working on a film documenting the unique arts culture in her hometown of Mineral Point.

Chamber of Commerce Leaders
Paige Murphy, Mineral Point COC
Kathy Kopp , Platteville COC
Meegan Thompson, Richland Center COC
Debra L. Bauer, Baraboo COC
Dawn Eno, Spring Green COC